"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion & the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) A daily devotional especially intended to offer compassion to other challenged parents of kids with special needs. Visit our home page at www.snappin.org!

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Feeling dried up, worn out, deadened? We have hope.

"Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the
SovereignLordsays: My
people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring
you back to the land of Israel.Then
you, my people, will know that I am theLord,when I
open your graves and bring you up from them.I will
put my Spiritin you and you will live, and I will settleyou in
your own land. Then you will know that I theLordhave spoken, and I have done it, declares theLord.’”

Ezekiel
37:12-14, NIV

The Rose of
Jericho, the Resurrection Fern, has an amazing capacity for survival. In times
of drought, it dries out and shrivels up, looking dead, but hides a surprising
secret. When given a long slow drink, that dead-looking fern resurrects and
becomes lush and green and full of life again. If you’re a special needs
parent, I bet you’ve got that same capacity for survival. We go through periods
that are so hard, so exhausting, physically and emotionally taxing, that we
feel pretty dead and dried up inside. I have days when I feel that way, don’t
you? Worn out until there really isn’t much left. Just like that fern can live
again, there is hope for you, and there is hope for me, too!

There is a
pretty special prophet named Ezekiel who we read about in the Old Testament. I
love the story of Ezekiel because he never intended to become a prophet.
Ezekiel trained his entire life to be a priest. A priest had social standing,
was respected, and admired. It was an honor to be a priest! But just as he was
about to step into his role as priest and fulfill his duties, God called him to
something entirely different – to be a prophet. Nobody really likes a prophet. They
were looked down upon, disliked, and viewed with suspicion. But God used
prophets to bring his stubborn people back to Him, so a prophet’s job was just
as important as a priest’s. Few people desire to be a special needs parent, it’s
something that often is thrust upon us, and leaves us feeling kind of isolated
and at odds with the world, but it’s just as important and rewarding, isn’t it?

Well, God’s
people seemed a lot like that dried up old fern – they were hurting, feeling
alone, abandoned because they had rejected God. Have you ever felt alone and
hurting? Isolated? It was Ezekiel’s job to bring them back to God. And God gave
him an incredible vision, the Valley of the Dry Bones in Ezekiel 37:1-14.

In the
passage, God takes Ezekiel to this valley of bones, old, dead bones. Because
that’s how Israel felt, like wasted old bones. And Ezekiel was probably pretty
horrified by those bones – because a priest would never touch a dead body! But
God told Ezekiel to speak to the bones, and he obeyed. And the bones grew
flesh, and became bodies. And God told Ezekiel to speak to those bones again,
and he obeyed. And those bones were given the breath of life and became a vast
army of living breathing people. This vision sounds more like something from
the Walking Dead rather than a Bible story, so what does that mean for us?

It means
that God sees us and hears us when we feel like we are dried up, wasting away,
cut off, and abandoned. And it means that God wants to breathe new life in us!
He wants to restore our weary souls, energize our lifeless bodies, and help us
stand to our feet, ready to face another day. Just like that Resurrection Fern
comes back to life with just a bit of water, God wants to breathe new life into
our hurting, dead places.

Maybe you
never planned on being a special needs parent, but now, somehow, you are. And
it’s hard, and it can be isolating. It’s exhausting. And just as you are
breathing life and love into your special needs child or children, God wants to
breathe life and love into you. Breathe in, my friend, breathe in God’s Spirit
and let God give you new life.

I'm so sorry for what you've been through. Please hear my heart that God sees you, He hears you, He hurts with you, and there is hope for a future for you and your children. Praying for you and your family.

Awesome post. Perfectly stated. Thank you for the encouragement. I needed it. I am a caregiver for my daughter and husband. My career is on hold and money is tight. My body and mind are weary. This blog has been such a blessing to me since I have been following. God bless you.

Denie, Thank you for your kind words! It's ok to get tired and worn out, we all do. Try to find your rest, somehow, and please don't ever give up hope! Today's post was very encouraging to me, about being purposed and re-purposed. Hope you get a chance to read it. God hears you.

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All content at Comfort In The Midst of Chaos is the exclusive expression of SNAPPIN' MINISTRIES, INC and does not necessarily represent the views, opinions or positions of any affiliated partner, church or sponsor.